Eagles Injury Update: Some Key Eagles Will Return Against Cardinals

The Eagles will get some key players back on the field Sunday against the Cardinals.

Nickel corner Avonte Maddox (pectoral muscle), left guard Landon Dickerson (thumb) and linebacker Nicholas Morrow (abdomen) all remained without play status and are expected to play.

Here is the Eagles' status report for Sunday:

Out of: Darius Slay (knee)

Questionable: Zach Cunningham (knee), Albert Okwuegbunam (thigh)

Maddox, 27, hasn't played since tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 2. The Eagles activated his practice window last week but decided to keep him out for the Giants game. Maddox took full part in training again this week.

The return of Maddox should be a big boost for a secondary that has really rattled players at the nickel cornerback spot since the injury. The Eagles have used Mario Goodrich, Josiah Scott, Eli Ricks, Sydney Brown, James Bradberry and Bradley Roby at the position this year.

The Eagles need to create a roster spot for Maddox. Perhaps Okwuegbunam's injury is an indication of how they will manage one.

Dickerson, 25, missed last week's game after undergoing thumb surgery. Veteran Sua Opeta stepped in on the left. But Dickerson was in full practice all week with a wrap on his left thumb. We'll see how much this will affect him on Sunday afternoon.

Last week was the only game Dickerson missed in the last two seasons. For a player who had significant injury concerns after graduating from Alabama, Dickerson was quite durable in his three-year NFL career.

The Eagles had to use Shaq Leonard and Ben VanSumeren at linebacker against the Giants, while Nolan Smith also saw his first snaps as an off-ball linebacker. This was Leonard's first start with the Eagles and VanSumeren's first defensive snaps in the NFL.

Morrow was questionable before the Giants game last week. He tested the injury during pregame warmups, but he was seen wincing and ended up being inactive.

It's no surprise that Slay is out. The veteran is still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss his third straight game. The Eagles have not placed Slay on IR and expect him back for the playoffs. In his absence, freshmen Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks have done a good job.